Athens, Georgia - SESD

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
Water Management Plan

Science and Ecosystem Support Division (SESD) Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 66,201 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 120 persons
Energy Consumption: 21,590,248,864 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 326,132
Total Water Consumption: 3,427,873 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 52

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2007.

Description

The Athens facility houses a state-of-the-art laboratory occupied by the Region 4 Science and Ecosystem Support Division.

2007 H20verachiever Award Winner

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

In August 2005, the Agency awarded contracts for a project to reprogram controls on all mechanical systems, including night and weekend setbacks, reset temperatures, and pressurization. As a result of this project, EPA anticipates reducing energy use at the SESD Laboratory by approximately 20 percent (compared to FY 2007) by 2009.
In December 2003, EPA conducted an assessment at the SESD laboratory, focusing on the air handling units' sequence of operation, chilled water system temperature, and other potential energy-saving measures.
This facility is a variable air volume (VAV) laboratory. A review of the operation of the VAV system was completed in September 2001.

Green Power

In FY 2008, EPA continued to support the renewable energy market by purchasing green power through two separate Agencywide blanket contracts for a combined total of 380 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy certificates (RECs), or “green tags,” from Sterling Planet , Luminant Energy Company , and FPL Energy . These purchases will allow EPA to offset 100 percent of electricity consumption for FY 2008 and the first half of FY 2009 at the Athens SESD Laboratory, as well as many other EPA facilities across the Agency. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center, these contracts support renewable energy generation from wind and biomass resources in nine states.
In June 2006, EPA worked with the Defense Energy Support Center to procure a green power contract with 3 Phases Energy Services for 110 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates (RECs), or “green tags.” With deliveries beginning September 1, 2006, this blanket purchase offset 100 percent of annual electricity use at the SESD Laboratory and several other facilities through FY 2007 by supporting wind power generation in California, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Beginning March 1, 2004, the SESD Laboratory purchased 100 percent green power in the form of RECs. The three-year contract, procured by the Defense Energy Support Center on behalf of EPA, called for 3 Phases Energy Services to supply 4.15 million kWh of RECs each year for three years. The RECs supported the generation of green power at landfill gas plants in Kentucky and North Carolina.

Water Conservation

A condensate recovery project was completed in May 2008 to capture condensation that builds up and reuse the water as cooling tower make-up water. The facility anticipates saving 1 million gallons of water each year as a result of this project.
EPA completed a water conservation assessment and developed a water management plan for the Athens SESD Laboratory (PDF) (192 pp, 405K, About PDF) in July 2006.

For More Information

Betty Kinney (kinney.betty@epa.gov)
980 College Station Road
Athens, GA 30605
Phone: (706) 355-8500
Fax: (706) 355-8508

Web site: www.epa.gov/region4/sesd/